Study Finds Unmet Needs for Civil Legal Help Among Baltimore City Treatment ClientsJune 3, 2005
Research Summary
Baltimore City public treatment clients have unmet needs for civil legal help, according to a collaborative pilot study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Law and CESAR. The majority of the participants (98%) reported having one or more potential legal problems, yet relatively few sought legal help for their problems. For example, more than one-half reported a health care-related (56%) or work-related (55%) legal problem, yet only 14% also reported seeking legal help for the problem.
The primary reasons cited for not seeking help were that they did not think the problem was a legal problem and/or they did not know who could help.
The authors suggest that treatment programs can help clients identify and remedy civil legal problems by "providing education about legal issues that commonly confront persons in treatment and identifying existing legal and non-legal resources that are available on specific topics."
For details, including data charts, source information and caveats, download the PDF file at www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol14/14-22.pdf.
Reprinted from CESAR Fax, a weekly, one-page overview of timely substance abuse trends or issues, from The Center on Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.
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